Many devices have been developed over the years for honing or sharpening the edges of cutting or chiselling tools. The majority of these devices utilize specialized clamping devices for supporting the blade of the tool to be sharpened. Several of such devices are shown by Baughcom, U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,338; Keith, U.S. Pat. No. 2,131,626; McGill, U.S. Pat. No. 2,128,591; Sperow, U.S. Pat. No. 2,893,179; and Gilbert, U.S. Pat. No. 3,950,899.
Each of the above mentioned patents discloses the use of screw clamp devices which must be manipulated each time the tool is positioned for the sharpening process. Manipulation of such clamp devices is both troublesome and time consuming.
Other tool sharpening devices are disclosed by Sinclair, U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,334, and Sykes, U.S. Pat. No. 3,882,642. In each of the above patents, a reciprocating motion of the knife blade upon a sharpening surface is utilized in order to obtain the required results.
Only Sinclair, of all the previously mentioned patents, discloses a device which is suitable for sharpening a knife having an acute blade angle, that is, a blade ending at a sharp point.